Nozzle



NOV. 6, 1945. L, pso 2,388,508

NOZZLE Filed March 4, 1944 ilmwyfw ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 6, 1945 rNOZZLE Lewis G. Morris Timpson, Plainfield, N. J.

Application March 4, 1944, Serial No. 525,066

2 Claims.

The present invention has for an object to provide an improved nozzlefor use in producing and delivering fire extinguishing foam.

Another object is to provide a nozzle suitable for production and use invery small sizes. And another object is to provide a choice of type andquality of eiliuent most suitable to the peculiarities of the fire at agiven moment.

The nature and object of the invention will be better understood from adescription of a particular illustrative embodiment thereof for thepurposes of which description reference should be had to theaccompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in which Figure 1 is acentral sectional view of a foamforming nozzle embodying the principlesof the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of another form of nozzle and Fig. 5 isa sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fi 4.

The basic elements of these nozzles are taken from the old art ofaspiration nozzles and in particular from nozzles of the type whereinlarge volumes of gases are educted by small volumes of liquid under highpressure. These foam nozzles shown for the purposes of illustrationprovide for thorough incorporation of the gas within the liquid mass andprovide adequate means to recover some of the kinetic energy of thesupply stream in the form of pressure energy.

The nozzle 5 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is designed to receivefoam-forming liquid under pressure and to cause aspiration of the liquidto provide air foam and to project that foam with suitable force. Asshown, the rear or base portion 0 is formed for connection to a liquidsupply hose 1 and the forward tapered convergent nozzle portion orcollector element 8 forming an aspirating chamber 9 is also so formedthat 3168.11 be connected to a delivery hose if desired.

The aspirating chamber of the nozzle is designed to receive foam-formingliquid entering as a spray under pressure and to allow aspiration of theatmosphericair and consolidation of the two fluids. The design is suchas to recover suitable pressure to project the resulting foam to therequired distance and in the required quality.

Between the inlet of the nozzle and the aspirating chamber 9 aspray-forming arrangement is provided having two angularly relatedpassages lO-HI meeting at an angle of about 60 degrees to effect avigorous impingement of two liquid streams upon each other. In front ofthe point of impingement a cylindrical baifie member or spraystraightener l l is provided which serves to confine the spray and tobreak up larger drops or streams and thereby greatly increase thesurface area of the liquid to achieve a high volumetric aspiration ofthe gas. The stream of spray passing forward is well adapted foraspiration by air entering a series of holes I 2 in the side of thenozzle. In order that the spray shall not exit through the holes I! theyare so positioned that all drops driving forward from the point ofimpingement of the two streams in the passages Iii-l0 which do notimpinge against the baflle will pass beyond the air inlet holes beforestriking the wall of the nozzle.

The size of the passages l0-lll is suitably proportioned for the size ofthe nozzle and the rate of flow of the liquid. The present inventioncompensates to a large extent. for such defects of manufacture in thesmaller sizes as burrs, rounded edges and the like and for imperfectionsincident to usage such as corrosion and adherence of small particles bythe provision of the protective baflie ll interposed between the pointoi formation of the spray-like jet and the point of aspiration in thechamber 9. The baille will reform elements of the spray which by faultsof the nozzle have motion other than substantially forward.

Nozzles of smaller sizes can be used satisfactorily with double actinghand pumps. These nozzles do not give a constant pressure supply and thedesign of the nozzle may be varied to provide the best aspiratingeiiiciency for a par ticular pump and the pressure available.

The ratio of contraction of the collector portion of the nozzle is about4 to 1. The base or handle 8 has a forward protective ring I! spacedoutward from the body of thenozzle and extending far enough forward withrelation to the air inlet holes I! to prevent the holes from beingaccidentally closed by the hand of one using the nozzle and yet theholes freely admit air.

Variation in operation of the nozzle is aiforded by the arrangementshown in Fig. 1 in that the impingement spray-forming passages ill-4tare carried in a rotatable valve member l6 which also has a passage l'lstraight through at a right angle to the plane of the impingementpassages lO-IU. The valve member can be rotated for use to provideeither a foam-producing nozzle or to provide a nozzle throwing asubstantially solid stream. The eilluent 01' the solid stream will stillcause aspiration to a certain extent and will therefore have somefoam-like quality with corresponding fireextinguishing value, and inaddition the stream will have the oil-wetting power of the chemicalsgenerally used in foam production. It will have a distance throwsubstantially equal to that of the usual water stream.

In many instances in the attack upon a serious oil or gasoline fire thischoice of eflluent will have great value. Many of these fires are ofsuch extreme intensity that approach to them sufiiciently close to applyconventional foam is impossible but the use of the substantiallystraight jet makes it possible to subdue the fire to such a degree thatlater approach for the final smothering operation will be quitefeasible. At other fires splashes of some violence of a foam-likeefiluent are desirable to reach around walls until such subduing of thefire as will allow the conventional foam to be applied. These featuresof combat have particular value on ships and in crowded structures.

The nozzle shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is similar in principle to thatdescribed above.

The handle or base member 20 is formed for convenient attachment to asmall hose 2|. The base is threaded to receive the collector element 22between the end of which and a shoulder of the base member a combinedspray-forming element and batlle member 23 is secured. A rubber washer24 insures a liquid-tight joint. As in the embodiment of Fig. l the basemember is formed with a protective ring 25 which projects over the eightor more carbon atoms, and various solubilized proteins are alsosuitable. A solvent may be demanded by the conditions of service.

It will be understood that the foregoing description of particularembodiments is illustrative merely and is not intended to be construedas defining the limits of the invention. Various modifications andadaptations may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foam-forming nozzle of the character described having a pluralityof forwardly directed jet-forming passages entering the rear of thenozzle at an angle to one another so as to bring a plurality of enteringliquid jets into the nozzle in impinging relation one to another to formspray, lateral ports in the side of the nozzle relatively close to theposition of entrance of the Jets, a rotatable transverse valve memberthrough which the jet-forming passages pass whereby rotation of thevalvemember will vary the spray formed, and a cylindrical baiiie within whichthe spray is formed and by which it is confined.

2. A foam-forming nozzle of the character described having a pluralityof forwardly directed jet-forming passages entering the nozzle at therear at an angle to one another to bring a plurality of entering liquidjets into the nozzle in impinging relation to form a fine spray, acylindrical baflle surrounding the position of impingement and extendingforwardly to confine and direct the spray, and lateral ports in theexterior nozzle wall outside of the baflie for admitting air to thespray but so positioned relative to the baflle as to be protected fromthe spray formed within the baflle substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

LEWIS G. MORRIS TIMPSON.

